RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, In the late evening of Friday, August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey reached landfall over southeastern Texas, bringing torrential downpours and devastating wind gusts to the region; and
WHEREAS, Over the next several days, Hurricane Harvey continued to pummel the southeastern portion of Texas with widespread rain and wind destruction, flooding roads, homes, and businesses; and
WHEREAS, Hurricane Harvey reached peak wind gusts of 132 mph and rain accumulation of over 50 inches in certain parts of Texas, making Harvey the wettest tropical • hurricane on record for the contiguous United States; and
WHEREAS, Thousands of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, military personnel, and other first responders worked throughout the storm to help find and rescue over 10,000 individuals in need; and
WHEREAS, Its intensity and duration were so severe that Hurricane Harvey was responsible for the deaths of more than 65 people; and
WHEREAS, Hurricane Harvey, one of the costliest natural disasters to ever hit the United States, is responsible for the destruction of thousands of homes and businesses, displacing over 30,000 individuals from their homes, and causing billions of dollars of destruction and economic loss to the region; and
WHEREAS, The broader effects of Hurricane Harvey were also tremendous, impacting thousands" of flights, halting production at oil refineries, and shutting down major interstates and highways; and
WHEREAS, In conjunction with the widespread destruction in Texas, numerous charitable and volunteer organizations began organizing relief efforts and collecting donations to help victims ofthe hurricane find food, shelter, clothing, and other essentials; and
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communication offered its help and support, along with the help and support ofthe Chicago Fire Department, to assist the emergency response teams in Texas; and
WHEREAS, Chicagoans have shown their spirit of generosity by organizing relief efforts to benefit the victims of Hurricane Harvey, which include the Chicago Cubs holding a raffle to benefit the American Red Cross, ABC 7 hosting a Day of Giving phonathon, and donating food, supplies, and money to the various relief efforts; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this sixth day of September, 2017, express our condolences to the victims of Hurricane Harvey, we commend the resiliency and courage of the people of Texas, particularly the southeastern coastal communities ravished by Hurricane Harvey, and we offer our hopes and prayers in support of these communities as they begin to recover and rebuild; and